Portable coal-box



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

THOMAS BUKENHOFER AND ERNEST H. WEISS, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

PORTABLE COAL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 528,072, dated October'23, 1894. Application filed March 15, 18 94. Seria1No.503,7 41- (Model).

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, THOMAS BUKENHOFER and ERNEST H. WEISS, both of Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Portable Goal-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in portable receptacles for the carriage of coal used in heaters or ranges, and has for its object to provide a novel device of the typeindicated, which is compact in form, inexpen sive to produce, easy to fill, and adapted for the convenient removal of coal therefrom by shovelfuls, as occasion requires.

To these ends, the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved coal box in an upright position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device adjusted to permit the convenient removal of coal therefrom. Fig. 3, isalongitudinalsectional view of the front wall of the improved coal box, a guard piece thereon, and a hinged cover, taken on the line 3, 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is a longitudinal sectional view of the front wall of the coal box, the guard piece thereon, the cover and one of the hinged connections of said cover with the coal box.

The body of the improved coal box is preferably shaped as represented in the draw ings, comprising a four-sided receptacle that is formed of two main pieces of sheet metal, one piece being bent to produce a front wall 10, and two slightly divergent side walls 10. The other portion that affords the bottom 11 and remaining side 11 of the receptacle is produced from a nearly rectangular sheet of metal having suitable dimensions, one part of said sheet being cut to correspond with the contour of the bent piece 10, with its three edges seamed or folded together with the lower edges on the three sided piece, so as to firmly unite these portions of the coal box and provide thebottom 11. The flat sheet metal portion that projects from the secured bottom wall 11, is bent at or near a right angle thereto, so that it will lie in contact with two edges of the side walls 10, upon which the edges of the rear wall 11, are double 5 5 folded in the usual manner, to produce a substantial connection of parts and complete the four-sided receptacle.

The wallll is prolonged to aproper length above the normal top edge of the walls 10, 10 as shown at 10*, to provide a guard piece, and the edges of the latter together with the top edges of the walls 10, 10, are stiffened by a wire band, that is embedded in return bent portions of these edges, as is usual in sheet metal construction for the formation of hollow ware.

- There is a cover 12 provided for the box, formed of. sheet metal that is cut into correct shape and has two depending wings 12, formed along opposite side edges, these being so separated that they will neatly fit between the walls 10. p

1 As clearly shown at 12 in Fig. 4,'the part 12, is hinged upon the rear wall l1 at its widest portion along the transverse edge, so that it may be folded to fit upon the top of the box and completely close it, or be extended nearly in the same plane with the part it is hinged upon, and have contact with the 8 guard piece 11, thereby forming a chute-like extension for the coal receptacle.

To produce a neat and reliable hinged joint between the cover and body of the coal box, the front walllO, is transversely grooved on its inner face, near the top edges of the side walls 10" and two or more looped clip plates 10 are made to embrace the transverse pintle wire 12", that is a continuation of the binding wire, for the top of the coal box, on its sides 0 and rear wall. The clip plates 10, are embedded in shallow recesses produced for their reception in the rear face of the guard piece 10", and are thereto secured by rivets, so that the cover 12, will be securely jointed on the 5 front wall of the coal box and adapted for a, free vibration to open or close it.

The outer corners of the wings 12 are preferably sloped as shown, and the free trans verse edge 12 of the part 12, is scrolled, so toe as to afford a neat finish on said part and provide a lifting cleat, as well as to adapt it for a scooping insertion in a coal pile and prevent injury to the edge when so used.

A bail handle 13, is furnished for the dewhen filled to hang perpendicular while it is being carried.

On the outside of the front Wall 10, a looped handle 14 is transversely secured near the bottom wall 11,.and on the. exterior ofthe wall 11 near the guard plate 11*,a transverse foot.

piece 15, is secured, thislatter mentioned part being extended across the wall it is secured upon, and is preferably bent from sheet metal into a flat looped form having aproper degree of projectionfrom the wall 11.

In service, the person handling the coal box, may adjust the chute or cover piece 12, as shown in Fig. 2, when it is desired to fill said receptacle with coal. This can be readily effected by grasping'the handles 13 and 14:, so as to be enabled to thrust the free edge of the chute piece 12, into the coal pile. Then by tilting the receptacle into an upright position, the box will be nearly if not quite filled, as the amount of coal that lies on the chutepiece will be transferred within the receptacle.

Should it be desired to pour the coal directly upon a gratefire, or within the opened top of a range, this can be conveniently effected by an obvious manipulation of the de-' vice, the coal passing over the chute piece and off of its free edge, the guard piece 11 affording support for the chute piece.

As it frequently occurs that a shovel must be used to transfer coal from the hod upon a fire, the improved coal box is specially well adapted to facilitate such an operation, as,

if the box is disposed as shown in Fig. 2, it will be supported on the foot piece 15, which will so elevate the open end of the box that an accidental discharge of its contents will be prevented, and free access thereto is atforded for the introduction of a shovel, the wings12 which then become upright walls, preventing a lateral escape of coal, that may roll upon the chute piece 12, from the box, when it is inclined so as to rest it upon the foot piece as previously mentioned.

When it is desired, the filled or empty box maybe tightly closed by the part 12, so that dust from coal, or ashes which may be placed in the receptacle, will be prevented from escaping into a room.

It is claimed for the improvement, that the receptacle can be very, economically produced without waste of but a small amount of material also that a large holding capacity is afforded for the amount of material used in the production of the completedevice.

As there is but a slight lateral protrusion of parts from the body of the receptacle, little space is occupied, in view of its capacity as a coal holder.

If the top of the box is'closed while coal is being carried in it, none will drop therefrom, and owing to the position of the handle 13, together with the parallel vertical side walls of the device,a t'ullbox may be carried with more ease than the same amount of coal can be manually transported'in a coal hod having flared side walls as ordinarily constructed.

The device is neat in appearance, and may be easily cleansed,so that it will be a sightly as well as a very convenient utensil for household use.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. A portable coal box, comprising a rectangular receptacle open at one end,a hinged cover adapted for-extension as ascooping or discharge chute, and that when projected nearly aligns with the flat front wall of the box a transverse bail handle on the upper part of the box, and a looped handle at the front end of the box near its base, substantially as described. 7

2. In a portable coal box, the combination with a four-sided box open at its top, a guard piece projected above the box at one side, a bail handle, and a looped tilting handle, of a hinged cover which by extension becomes a chute, and a foot piece across the box near the guard piece, substantially as desc ibed.

THOMAS BUKENHOFER. ERNEST I-I. WEISS.

Q Witnesses:

FRANK NOSLER, O. D. DAVIS. 

